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Biography

Sara Feigenholtz represents Illinois' 12th Representative District, which includes the Chicago neighborhoods of Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Near North. Her commitment to the residents of her district and sponsorship of groundbreaking legislation has earned her the appointment of Assistant Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Representative Feigenholtz aspires to be a transformative and energetic leader who advocates for effective and practical policies that have a positive impact on the residents of her district and the people of Illinois.

Sara champions a multitude of complex legislative and budgetary issues, reinforcing her statewide reputation as an effective legislator and champion of accessible health care, human services and adoption reform. Sara's passion for justice in health care earned her the Chairmanship of the Human Services Appropriations Committee, where she served for a decade before her appointment as Assistant Majority Leader.

As an adopted person herself, Sara works tirelessly to improve the practice of adoption in Illinois. She possesses an unwavering commitment to ensure that adoption laws in Illinois reflect a high level of integrity in the placement of children. In 2010, Sara passed historic legislation making Illinois the most populous state to grant adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates – a right that had been denied since 1946. The American Adoption Congress awarded Sara with the Legislative Excellence Award for the largest expansion of birth certificate access in U.S. history.

In 2013, Sara sponsored and passed landmark legislation to extend Medicaid coverage to uninsured Illinoisans. Earlier in her tenure she sponsored and passed Illinois' contraceptive equity law and fought hard for other legislative victories such as increased funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. As an advocate for older adults across Illinois, Sara has worked on the enhancement of the Community Care Program, which allows seniors to receive the care and assistance they need while remaining in their own homes.

Representing a district with one of the highest populations of condominiums in the state, Sara has fought for responsible fire safety policies and recently co-sponsored legislation creating the Office of the Condominium and Community Interest Ombudsperson, which will help educate and resolve disputes between condominium owners and associations.

Among her numerous community and statewide awards, Sara most recently received the Legislator of the Year Award from AARP Illinois for her sponsorship of Medicaid expansion and the Gift of Life Award from the National Kidney Foundation for her work on access to prevention screening, treatment and transplant efforts.

Prior to entering public service, Sara was the principal of SKF Consulting, a firm working for a diverse group of political candidates and non-profit charitable organizations. As a local small-business owner, she served as the Executive Director of the Central Lakeview Merchants Association. She actively serves in an advisory capacity in numerous community organizations throughout the 12th District.

Nationally, Sara is a board member of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and an Organizing Committee co-chair with Kennedy Forum Illinois, a diverse partnership of civic, business and community leaders committed to ending the stigma surrounding mental health.

Sara earned her B.A. in Political Science and Speech and Performing Arts from Northeastern Illinois University. She received a fellowship at the University of Illinois Public Health Leadership Institute and in 2011 completed the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives program.